Beyond the Scare Floor: Deep Dive into Harryhausen’s Sushi Coming to Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In a few days, Mama Melrose will permanently close, followed a few weeks later with the epic closure of The Muppets Courtyard here at Hollywood Studios. Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering announced last year, during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, that a new land is coming based on the Pixar film Monsters, Inc., unofficially called Monstropolis.
The upcoming Monstropolis land (no official opening date) is set to thrill with a suspended coaster recreating the iconic door vault scene, alongside new dining and shopping venues, and a completely new theater show. Notably, one of the anticipated dining locations is Harryhausen’s Sushi Restaurant, replacing Mama Melrose and instantly bringing to mind the comical scene in Monsters Inc. where Mike Wazowski desperately tried to get a reservation there for Celia Mae’s birthday, and succeeded. The restaurant was run by a Sushi Chef Octopus, who was jokingly called a Sixtopus because it only had six tentacles. Furthermore, one of his six remaining appendages was bandaged.
Why does the name Harryhausen ring a bell with fans of a certain age? Is the restaurant named after a real person? Who was Harryhausen? What is his connection to Pixar, Walt Disney Studios, and Star Wars? What is Harryhausen’s legacy?
A Real Person Behind the Name? Yes, the name refers to a real person: Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013).
Why the Familiar Ring? For a generation that grew up with fantastical creatures battling heroes on screen, Harryhausen was groundbreaking in stop-motion animation visual effects. Think giant octopuses, sword-wielding skeletons, and majestic griffins – these were his creations. For many people, like ourselves, it was Clash of the Titans, released in 1981. Or, from the movie It Came From Beneath the Sea, which our friendly Sushi Chef Sixtopus is a direct tribute to. Others will remember the Sinbad movies released between 1953 and 1977.
Who Was Ray Harryhausen? Harryhausen was a visionary special effects artist and animator. Inspired by Willis O’Brien’s work on the original King Kong, he dedicated his life to perfecting and popularizing the painstaking art of stop-motion animation. His technique, often dubbed “Dynamation,” cleverly combined stop-motion characters with live-action footage, making it appear as if actors were interacting with fantastical creatures.
The Pixar, Disney, and Star Wars Connections: While Harryhausen didn’t directly work on major productions from Pixar, Walt Disney Studios, or Star Wars, his influence on these giants of filmmaking is undeniable:
Pixar: Animators and storytellers at Pixar, like many in the animation industry, were deeply inspired by Harryhausen’s ability to bring imaginative characters to life through animation. His dedication to the craft and the sheer artistry of his creations paved the way for the advancements in computer animation seen today. Pixar creatives have confirmed that the restaurant’s name and Sixtopus are a direct nod to Harryhausen.
Walt Disney Studios: While Harryhausen’s style differed from Disney’s traditional cel animation, his groundbreaking visual effects work in films like Jason and the Argonauts and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad undoubtedly influenced the studio’s approach to incorporating fantastical elements into their live-action and animated features.
Star Wars: George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has frequently cited Harryhausen as a major inspiration. The iconic creature designs and action sequences in the original trilogy owe a significant debt to Harryhausen’s innovative techniques and imaginative storytelling through visual effects. In the new season of Light & Magic, Season 2, Ray Harryhausen’s name is mentioned as an inspiration to many of the employees of Industrial Light & Magic!
Harryhausen’s Lasting Legacy: Ray Harryhausen’s legacy is immense. Now, his name will live on inside Walt Disney World, and hopefully kids growing up over the next decade or so will ask the same questions we had, and Ray Harryhausen will be deep dived, hopefully inspiring the next generation of film goers, and maybe spark something in them. His films continue to be enjoyed for their imaginative creatures, thrilling adventures, and timeless charm.
Ray Harryhausen was a master craftsman who brought dreams to life on the silver screen, leaving an indelible mark on the history of cinema and the imaginations of audiences worldwide. So we hope that Harryhausen’s Sushi Restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios will live up to the name on the sign! It would be great to be treated by a larger-than-life animatronic of Sushi Chef Sixtopus, maybe have a touch of the Walt Disney Imagineering flair with a nod to some of the giant stop-motion monsters Ray Harryhausen is known for.
Beyond the Scare Floor: Deep Dive into Harryhausen’s Sushi Coming to Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
